Improvement in explosive shells for ordnance



C. `T. JAMES.

Projectile,

No. .35,5211 Patented Jun 1o, .1862.

\ l if UNITED STATES PATENT OEEicE.

CHARLES T. JAMES, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

IMPROVEMENT IN EXPLOSIVE SHELLS FOR ORDNANCE.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 354,521, dated June l0, 1862.

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES T. JAMES, of Providence, Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Explosive Shells vfor Ordnance, of which the following is a specification.

Myinvention relates to a novel method of construction in shells, and has for its object to increase the capacity of the magazine of the shell without increasing the size of the projectile and without interfering'with the expansible portion of the projectile.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this application, Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through the center of one of my improved shells, and Fig. 2 is a cross section at the line x x, Fig. l.

In the several'ligures the same letter denotes the same part ofthe apparatus.

In Fig. 1 the dotted lines illustrate the form of the shell which has Aheretofore been employed in connection with the surrounding expansible ring, for preventing windage and iilling the grooves of rilied cannon.

My improvement consists in extending the .shell portion or magazine ofthe projectile down toward the base of the latter, as shown, making the magazine or shell portion Ain the shape of a prolate spheroid, in combination with a surrounding expansible ring or packing, so arranged as to make the external ligure ofthe base or lower half of projectile cylindrical, as hereinafter more fully explained.

A is the shell portion of the projectile, (of the form illustrated`,) which is castof iron, hollow, in the usual manner, but with triangular flanges or feathers E, arranged radially in cross-section and extending from about the center (longitudinally) ofthe external surface of the shell A to its lower point. Around this series of feathers or flanges E is placed a cylinder or band, b, of some thin metallic substance-for instance, tin-and outside of this band is a cylindrical envelope, a, of fibrous or equivalent substance (to prevent abrasion of the bore of the gun.) The spaces between the feathers E are filled in with lead or other soft metal or alloy, as shown at D. soft metal extends out to and against the internal circumference ofthe band Z, as illustrated, and the said iilling D, it will be observed, is so shaped at the base ofthe projectile as to leave This filling of the point or apex fi of the shell A exposed, from which point t' the said filling is sloped inwardly and then out again to the point 6 7, as fully illustrated. B is the ordinary y,conecylinder, and O the cap-piece, whereby'the explosion of the shell is eifected in the manner well known.

It will be observed that in the method of construction heretofore employed for this kind of projectiles the magazine or hollow portion for powder and missiles extended down only to the dotted line 1 3 2, while the lower hollow portion included between the points G 5 4 7 was left void, and communicated with a surrounding expansible ring by means of ducts, through which the explosive gases passed from the hollow space 6'5 4 7 to the said expansible ring, to force it outwardly against the bore of the gun and into the grooves, if rifled. Now, I have utilized thegreaterportion of the space 6 5 4 7 for magazine purposes, while at the same time I have lost none of the advantages of the expansible ring; and this desideratum Lhave attained, as hereinbefore described, by extending the shell portion A down toward the base, forming flanges E to sustain the band b and envelope c and casting, or pouring in a filling, D, of soft metal.

By forming base surface of the filling D in the manner shown the explosion ofthe charge in the cannon will cause the said filling D to expand, (on the Mini principle,) forcing the band b, with its envelope a, against the bore of the gun and into the grooves, if rifled, for purposes well known. The shell portion Ais rendered better capable of bearing the force of the discharge in the cannon, and will explode, I believe, to better advantage, when shaped substantially as shown and described by me.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

In combination with the conically shaped base of the shot of hard metal, an expansible base-piece of soft. metal, arranged to operate substantially as described, for the purpose set y forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 21st day of September, 1861.

OHAS. T. JAMES. Witnesses:

WM. H. BISHOP, J. N. MoIN'riRE. 

